BABIL, Iraq- The Babil Provincial Reconstruction Team, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and local provincial government officials held an opening ceremony in Musayyib, Iraq, Feb. 12, for the Musayyib Civic Center.
The ceremony celebrated the newly constructed facility opening its doors to local Iraqi citizens and capping the Babil PRT's project in the province.
The center is located in the central area of Musayyib, allowing access for families and local government officials. The center is designed to hold over 300 people for social events, meetings, and arts and entertainment events.
The building was designed to be a multifunctional facility for use by the local community in the town of Musayyib. The mayor and local townspeople needed the center to hold community gatherings and meetings, said Lou Simonetti, lead engineer for the Babil PRT, from Baltimore, Md.
The center is one of the last projects the Babil PRT will complete in Babil.
"The civic center itself is meant as a central focus, a hub for any future community event with Musayyib," said Capt. Samuel A. Miller, commander of Company D, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. "It's meant for the people to use as a venue where they could have local gatherings of artists to support the community."
The project started in 2008 and, with the support of local workers, was built to the specifications desired by community residents. It was built with additional classrooms to provide educational services for the local children. Its unique design was one of the first of its kind in Babil.
"This is the first of its kind. It was unique because it was an area that didn't have a place for the community to meet," said Simonetti.
The project was a culmination of the efforts of the local community, the Babil PRT and the 3rd ACR.
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